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Stroke patterns in written letter production: an optimality theory analysis| old_uid | 11398 |
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| title | Stroke patterns in written letter production: an optimality theory analysis |
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| start_date | 2016/05/13 |
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| schedule | 14h |
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| online | no |
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| location_info | Bat. Ampère |
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| summary | Most language research focuses on spoken language comprehension and
production. However, written language also poses important questions and
challenges. In this talk I explore principles underlying the production
of characters in writing. The strokes for writing a character shape
(e.g., b, B) could be produced in various directions and orders. Some
variation in stroke patterns is observed, but most possible patterns
never occur (e.g., for B: lower loop, then vertical line, then upper
loop). Researchers have proposed principles underlying stroke patterns,
but the principles often conflict, and are frequently violated. What,
then, determines how characters are written? Applying Optimality Theory
(OT), a computational framework developed by Prince and Smolenksy in the
context of phonology, I propose that stroke patterns are governed by
violable, rank-ordered constraints (e.g., Start at the Left, No Upward
Strokes). Stroke patterns violating only low-ranking constraints are
favored over those violating higher-ranking constraints. I present
results concerning prescribed and actual stroke patterns in writing
Roman and Hebrew characters, arguing that the OT framework sheds light
on stroke patterns that do and do not occur, and on variation across
individuals and writing systems. I also suggest that the framework may
contribute to understanding of stroke errors in children and dysgraphic
individuals, as well as character inventories in writing systems. |
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| responsibles | Hueber |
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